Dueling Drops

Allergies and competing CD releases mean spring's finally returned to Albuquerque. If you're itching for fresh local albums, relief is coming your way this Friday, April 18. Can't help with the rapid-fire sneezing, though. Sorry.

Troupe offers rare chance to hear classical and folk music of India played by revered performers

By Mel Minter

In the United States, tabla master Zakir Hussain may be better known for his groundbreaking work in the World Music groups Shakti and Planet Drum, not to mention his wide-ranging collaborations with musicians as diverse as George Harrison and Charles Lloyd. In his native India, however, he is revered as a performer of his country’s ancient and extraordinarily complex classical repertoire.

Ferocious and unrelenting hooks tweaked with synth, cymbal crashes and sax keep Antidotes from getting tossed onto the pile of one-trick dance-punk LPs. The five-piece out of Oxford, England, seems hell-bent on proving it can do more than just work a club into a frenzy. Foals makes sure there are some floating-above-the-clouds atmospheric tracks thrown in with the up-tempo numbers, which are still the band’s stronger suit. This is a young group, and it seems anxious to break out of the math-rock bubble. But for now, Antidotes is only comfortable dipping its toe into the multi-genre pool. (SM)

If you want a reminder—and not from Radiohead—that hip-hop is everywhere, even in the indie rock that millennials are sorta into (but only after they listen to every goddamn thing they can find by Kendrick Lamar) then trip, trip, trip on down to Sister on Monday, Feb. 19 at 8pm for a recital of sorts by Cincinnati alt-rappers cum indie rock stars, WHY? Founded by a dude named Yoni in the distant and unremembered aughts, WHY? has gained traction among rockish young audiences with their pop-nuanced mash-up of rocanrol and hip-hop. They got all kinda crazy rhythms, jams and flows going on betwixt rock references and may do some drugs; their latest effort is called Moh Lhean, after all. Additionally, the critics at Allmusic have judged their music as “quirky” which oughta count for something, amirite? They do have some pretty righteous tuneage, including works like “George Washington,” “White English” and “Into the Shadows of My Embrace.” Seriously, this one's worth the price of admission and if you're into skinny jeans and man buns, then damn, get out there, girl! The cover is $15 to $18, 21+.